C300: Hand Held C300 Mk2 rig

M

Mark Smith

Veteran
I'm thinking about a rig for My 300 Mk2 . I really want to keep it minimalist yet useful without the the ball of wire frankenrig outcome. Here's what I'm thinking: Zacuto VCT pro grip extender, canon audio module and a gratical VF.

My question: is anybody here using this kind of a set up and what do you think of it? THis rig would be used primarily for hand held doc shooting. I want to keep it small because sometimes I need to work in confined spaces and I need to be able to set it down on a flat surface with out danger of tipping to make adjustments, change batteries etc.

This seems to be the most compact rig that sits on the shoulder comfortably with adjustable balance for different configurations .

Thoughts?
 
I've got two of the older version of the Zacuto VCT on a 13 day web series I'm shooting now. I'm not a fan. Using a rail system is not rigid enough for the handles. Too much flex. Really have to tighten the knobs to get it extra tight, and then it's difficult to loosen the short knobs when they are so tight, but that doesn't solve flex in the rail. With the newer VCT Pro, you gain a detachable sliding plate which I think is proprietary, so you need to buy Zacuto adapters for that plate for all of your other support gear. But what really bothers me about that setup, is that the rails for lens support, follow focus, etc., are attached to the VCT Pro plate, so if you want to say mount to Steadicam, Gimbal, a smaller setup, etc., while maintaining your rail setup for your cinema lenses, then you either have to deal with the weight and bulk of the Zacuto VCT setup, VCT tripod mount, etc., or spend 15-30 minutes re-rigging everything to a smaller setup.

Having the VCT setup on a tripod adds a lot of weight and bulk to tripod setups. I find it can be difficult to get it to click in at times. I can't speak for the VCT Pro, but the regular VCT setup's shoulder pad isn't that comfortable.

I'm planning to buy the Wooden Camera setup. Seems to solve all of those issues.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...camera_wc_203900_shoulder_rig_v2_premium.html

I'll see about posting more photos of my setup later. Here's one photo for now.

15626413_262293617522894_4299390001642401000_o.jpg


By the way, I love the Alan Gordon Enterprises Camera Comfort Cushion I just got.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...ises_1050_CUSHION_Camera_Comfort_Cushion.html
 
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Hey John - I feel like you may have posted this here before, but would love to know more about the Wooden camera sled and what you're using to mount the LCD. Does it lock firmly in that configuration?

Travis LaBella
 
I use a wooden camera FS7 EVF relocator, basically a 15mm rod right angled into a nato rail with a slidable 15mm rodd for an evf mount. I put a small rig cold shoe vise lock on that to keep the lcd unit tight. I like that I can slide it forward and back easily and if I'm messing with the lens I can just loosen it and tilt the entire contraption upward. Get rid of the stock handle and loose the canon shock mount asap.

I know a few people with the wooden camera dovetail system, I'm not a big fan. I don't have to remove or add anything when going from tripod to shoulder. You do have to make sure the VCT locks in good, but that goes with every quick release device.
 
I'm thinking along the lines of the lower photo VCT shoulder plate with grip extension and a gratical style VF in the right place . I tend to use a 17-55 for the doc work I am doing just to keep things compact. The new 17- 80 could be an option for me at some point , but I really have to try it out to see if I like it . While the upper photo is the camera rig for reality shows , I'm staying away from that style for the time being, though it is good to know the VCT plate would accommodate a set up like that .
 
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